RC Lens defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the Trophées des Champions on Sunday, spoiling the reigning Ligue 1 champions' start to the 2026/27 season. Florian Thauvin, 33, scored the only goal of the match, which saw both sides finish with 10 men after red cards were shown to PSG's Kylian Antonio and Nuno Mendes.
The victory gives Lens their first piece of silverware of the new campaign, while PSG missed the chance to add a second trophy in a week following their UEFA Super Cup success. According to ESPN, the match grew increasingly physical, with the red cards leaving neither team with a numerical advantage in the closing stages.
Super Cup Result Falls Outside Ballon d'Or Window
The outcome of the French Super Cup, however, has no bearing on the 2026 Ballon d'Or race. The eligibility period for the award runs from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026, meaning the Trophées des Champions, played in August 2026, falls entirely outside that window.
The last major competition within the eligibility period was the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which concluded in July. Even PSG's UEFA Super Cup triumph earlier in the week did not count towards the award, as it also took place after the cutoff date.
With the voting timeline now closed, the latest rankings for the Ballon d'Or remain unchanged, and this result is not expected to influence any voters' decisions.
Updated Ballon d'Or Rankings
The current top five in the Ballon d'Or rankings, as reported by Legit.ng, are as follows:
- Harry Kane
- Ousmane Dembele
- Lamine Yamal
- Rodri
- Kylian Mbappe
Notably, both Mbappe and Yamal have dropped in the latest rankings. Legit.ng previously reported that Yamal slipped despite helping Spain win the 2026 World Cup. Mbappe, who won the Golden Boot at the tournament, also saw his chances dwindle due to a trophyless season at Real Madrid.
The Ballon d'Or winner will be announced later this year, with the voting period now closed and the Super Cup result having no impact on the outcome.
